Indications:
Any injury suspected meniscus or ligaments requires an arthroscopy. The review is required if a suspect knee meniscal tear, partial or complete, or if serious doubt exists on a ligament injury and in case of suspicion of an intra-articular foreign body.
Another indication is infectious arthritis, when adequate medical treatment is not enough to stop the infection in 48 hours; in this case, arthroscopy is required.
Principle:
The joint is designed with its opacification achieved by the injection of a iodinated contrast agent and taking photographs.
In the operating room, anesthesia is epidural or general more often than local. The examination is often done on an outpatient or with a short hospital stay (24 to 72 hours). Two or three surgical approaches are needed to introduce arthroscopy, so flexible periscope, exploration and processing tools (such as pliers meniscal resection) and the wash water if necessary. The total duration of the intervention does not exceed 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the act; once dissipate the effects of anesthesia, the patient can get up: rapid recovery does not require a long downtime.
Results:
This gesture, little traumatic, is diagnostic but also therapeutic in nature: a torn meniscus, for example, a broken horn will be repaired; the horn fragment will be removed as can be, by the same route, sutured a damaged ligament. This technical note is less than conventional racking operation, leaving a scar less unsightly and resulting in fewer postoperative complications. Recovery is faster as disaster recovery, which can be very important in sports for example.
Nevertheless, the examination requires expensive equipment and must be performed under strict aseptic conditions.
Cost:
K50 + 20/2 + anesthesia.
Incidents:
No when the doctor is experienced. If there are exceptionally risk of hemarthrosis or effusion, or infectious.
Walking is possible from the 12th hour.
Practical advice :
The review, non-painful, can be practiced at any age without cons-indications, including cardiovascular. The examination should not be done in bad condition of the knee skin; any skin lesion (infectious or eczema) has to delay consideration.
Quick recovery, related to a short detention, in fact a treatment of choice for meniscal and articular infective ligament problems. The review is to replace arthrography.
Consideration is also feasible for the shoulder, elbow, ankle joint, or other joints according to the practice of the practitioner.